Court Watch Montgomery is Recruiting Board Members!
We are a small nonprofit with a big mission: to ensure safety and access to justice for survivors
of intimate partner violence in Montgomery County. Through dedicated and well-trained
volunteers, we monitor and collect data on protective order hearings in Montgomery County
District Court, use our findings to identify and recommend needed improvements in policy and
practice, and hold judges and court personnel accountable for providing a safe and respectful
court environment.
Since our founding in 2011, Court Watch Montgomery (CWM) has monitored more than 11,000
hearings and our resulting reports and recommendations make an impact. We found in 2022
that "staggered exits" - a recognized best practice to protect victims at the end of a protective
order hearing - were being enforced only 39% of the time. We reported this finding to the public
and to the court and saw an immediate increase, to 59%, in 2023. We also reported in 2023 that
petitioners are far more likely to receive a final protective order when they appear in court with
an advocate or attorney, highlighting a critical resource need in the county. Most recently, CWM
reported on the use of gun-related best practices in protective order hearings, helping to inform
the public about an issue that is the focus of a high profile Supreme Court case (Rahimi).
The CWM board defines the organization’s mission and vision, develops short- and long-term
plans to carry out the mission, and sets policies for effective management. Resource
development and fundraising to support CWM operations are key functions of the board. We are
seeking to expand our board and are committed to having a team with diverse skills,
experiences, and abilities. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and
communities, and we especially encourage those with lived experience and skills in
fundraising/resource development, finance/accounting, or advocacy/policy, to apply.
Interviews will be held with current CWM board members and our Executive Director.
Please submit a resume and letter of interest to: lchatmon@courtwatchmontgomery.org
Copy and paste the link below to view a full list of board responsibilities:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vJUNakKjscCQBXvKBe-6E6ujsbyfnjO2Lm7KpuWYGb4/edit?usp=sharing
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
8720 GEORGIA AVE STE 302, SILVER SPRING, MD 20910, US
Court Watch Montgomery (CWM) works to reduce intimate partner violence by ensuring that victims have access to responsive justice and vital services so the violence can be stopped, quickly and permanently.
Citizen volunteers monitor Montgomery County court civil and criminal hearings on intimate partner violence and identify important patterns that can put survivors of domestic violence and their children at unnecessary risk. We have compiled data on over 5,000 cases and published numerous reports on our findings that have already resulted in life-saving improvements at court. The courts often function well, and we also highlight those practices. Volunteers are the heart and soul of our effort. We currently most need volunteers to monitor protective order hearings in Rockville or in Silver Spring district court weekday mornings. Volunteers should be available to come to court at least twice a month for a minimum of 6 months, preferably longer due to the learning curve and training involved.
Court Watch is a respectful inclusive organization. We welcome everyone and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, gender identity, sexual orientation or creed. Volunteers are expected to conform to our culture of inclusion when attending organization events and when in court.
To submit an application: https://courtwatchmontgomery.org/volunteer/volunteer-form/
This is a Virtual Opportunity with no fixed address.
July 11, 2024
